Image thanks to phnxprmnt021@deviantart (http://phnxprmnt021.deviantart.com/)
and model Alyssa Marie, (c) 2012
Chapter 3
“Some of my friends are free tomorrow,” Tana said in-between sips of her strawberry frappe. She swiveled idly in her seat at the counter.
Daphne turned away from staring out the sandwich shop window. She had hardly touched her turkey sub. Though the warm scent of fresh bread enticed her, she couldn’t escape the feeling that the poor sandwich might meet the same fate as last night’s regurgitated burger.
Instead of eating, she had been observing the passersby. Daphne envied how much happier they all looked than she felt. Even the woman rushing into stores with a gaggle of children on her arms still stopped on the sidewalk for pleasant chatter.
Daphne set her gaze on Tana’s hazel eyes, which shone brightly with excitement. Too much excitement. Her cousin’s thrill jolted her mood like an electric shock down the spine.
For a moment, she took stock of her morning in Tana’s room. Had she taken her medication? Yes? Good. The pills would stabilize her soon enough.
Until then, the Other Daphne perked up at the minor adrenaline rush.
Daphne swatted at the back of her head, pretending for a moment that she was combing her fingers through her hair.
“I’m listening,” she said, eyes a little too wide.
“I asked them yesterday if they’d want to come over.” Tana grinned, exposing perfectly flawed teeth. “I think we should throw you a party.”
Daphne picked apart the vegetables from her sandwich to keep focused.
She said, “How many people are you talking about?”
Tana made a thoughtful noise. She pushed her drink further back on the counter so she could spin unrestricted on her seat as she thought.
With difficulty, Daphne kept composed. And not spinning. Nope, definitively not spinning.
She said, “Not too many, right?”
“Probably not. My best friends will want to meet you. So those three and maybe a couple more? We don’t have a lot of space to begin with.”